ISLAMABAD: Zafar Shah, a resident of Peshawar, had been suffering from Hepatitis C for the last many years. Last year he was told by doctors that the only way to save his life was a liver transplant. The operation took place on November 22, 2013 in Pakistani federal capital Islamabad and today Shah is living a healthy life.
This weekend Shah participated in an event organised to celebrate ‘100 Living Donor Liver Transplants’ at Shifa International Hospital (SIH). Shah said that before the operation, he would feel weak and his body would always ache. He found it almost impossible to perform his duties as an electrical supervisor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police.
“In the last stage of my disease, I would vomit blood. That’s when doctors suggested the transplant. I found it impossible to afford the operation which required Rs6.5 million. Fortunately Secretary Welfare KP Hashim Khan and Inspector General of Police KP Nasir Durrani arranged funds for my operation,” he said.
He narrated how his brother and children were all willing to donate liver but as hepatitis ran in the family, doctors rejected. “Finally my wife’s nephew offered me his liver, which was approved by doctors,” he said. “I came to Islamabad and after the operation had to stay in hospital for 28 days. Later I hired a house in Islamabad because continued check-ups were required. I stayed here for three months and now I am living a normal life,” he said.
Shah was not the only person at the event who went through the process. Most recipients shared similar stories. Hepatitis is one of the biggest health problems facing the country’s population. Every 10th Pakistani is suffering from hepatitis. There are 18 million Pakistanis suffering from hepatitis and around 150,000 deaths per year are attributed to the disease.
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